Chapter Seventy-Nine: Campus Assault (Part Two)

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Entertainment Is Always Around, No Pop-up Ads
Story Timeline: March 2006
Recommended Song: K-One — "Bravely Go Love"
Statement: This story is purely fictional; any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

When morning came, the clock pointed to 6:30. With only two and a half hours of sleep, Jiang Yihan could barely open his eyes, but the schedule had to continue. With Li Ran’s help, Jiang Yihan washed up in a sleepy daze.

Seated in a chair while Xu Xian helped with makeup, Jiang Yihan was still fast asleep, while Jiang Ziyi had gone out to buy breakfast.

By a little after 7, everything was ready. The ever-reluctant Jiang Yihan had no choice but to wake up; work was work, and no matter how tired he was, he had to fulfill his duties.

The production crew brought out Jiang Yihan’s outfit for the morning—a security guard uniform that, at first glance, looked a bit like a police uniform, except it was beige and lacked any police insignia. Jiang Yihan curiously turned the outfit over in his hands, examining it from every angle.

At this moment, the director explained today’s plan in detail: “Yihan, around 8 o’clock, just before classes start, there will be fewer people around. Put on the uniform and hat, stand by the school gate, and do your best not to be recognized. How you wave and act is up to you, haha.”

“What if I get recognized? But if no one recognizes me, I’ll feel kind of disappointed too,” Jiang Yihan pouted, caught in a swirl of conflicting emotions.

“Don’t worry, not being recognized is normal—you’re in disguise,” the director laughed. “But if you do get recognized, it’ll cause chaos and we won’t be able to carry out today’s plan. It would all be for nothing, so you absolutely must not be recognized. Our staff will be nearby; if you’re recognized, we’ll escort you out immediately and cancel the event.”

“Why? If I get recognized, the event is off?” Jiang Yihan didn’t quite understand the show’s intention.

“Our show is called ‘Campus Surprise’—the whole point is the element of surprise, giving students a thrill. If they know in advance, there’s no point in continuing,” the director explained, and only then did Jiang Yihan understand.

With the plan clear, it was time to get ready for the next part. Sitting in the van, Jiang Yihan looked at the school gate a few hundred meters away. Students were already streaming in—this was clearly a big school, bustling with people. The school’s discipline inspection team was also very visible, a teacher leading a line of students on either side of the gate, strictly checking uniforms and appearance.

“Wow, students here have it tough. At my old school, we didn’t have to wear uniforms or worry about how we looked. It was a lot more relaxed and happy,” Jiang Yihan, bored while waiting, struck up a conversation with Li Ran. “But I always wanted to try wearing a uniform—wonder what it feels like. Our old school’s uniforms were so ugly, no one wore them, but these look pretty nice. Probably feels good wearing them, haha.”

“Well, why not take a uniform ad next time? That’ll fulfill your wish,” Li Ran replied after a pause.

Jiang Yihan burst out laughing, “You make it sound so simple. Ads aren’t just something you get because you want them.”

Li Ran only smiled in response. Jiang Yihan, always a bit muddled, had no idea how popular he actually was. If Li Ran were to contact industry folks and say Jiang Yihan wanted a school uniform ad, maybe not everyone would rush over, but three or four companies would certainly be interested. Li Ran began to calculate—school uniform ads were a great market, and could further expand Jiang Yihan’s influence among students. It was definitely a feasible plan, and Li Ran started plotting his next steps.

Finally, it was Jiang Yihan’s turn. Ten minutes before classes began, he could make his entrance. Adjusting his security uniform and pulling the cap lower, he jogged over to the school gate. By now, most students had gone in, and only a teacher remained at the entrance. Jiang Yihan greeted the teacher and stood alongside him.

Soon, a male student came running, clearly afraid of being late. As he sprinted through the gate and saw Jiang Yihan and the teacher, he bowed hastily and dashed inside. Suddenly, Jiang Yihan called out, “Your shirt isn’t tucked in at the back.” He pitched his voice lower.

The student turned to look and, sure enough, his shirt was hanging out. Looking embarrassed, he quickly tucked it in and hurried on, taking a few steps before suddenly stopping. Seeing this, Jiang Yihan tensed, thinking he’d been discovered, but the boy paused only briefly before running off again.

Jiang Yihan breathed a sigh of relief—thank goodness he hadn’t been found out. In fact, he found the job quite thrilling, as if he were back in his student days, and his expression relaxed.

A few more students came running in, and Jiang Yihan occasionally played a harmless prank or made a critical comment, but thankfully, he hid his identity well and wasn’t discovered. The ten minutes passed quickly, and Jiang Yihan completed his task successfully, shaking hands with the teacher and smiling happily.

With the task done, it was time for the main event: Campus Surprise.

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At 10:30, over six thousand students, led by teachers, filed into the school auditorium. Standing on the stairwell at the back, Jiang Yihan peered through a crack in the wall, watching the crowd grow.

“So many people… I’m nervous, so nervous,” Jiang Yihan laughed, bouncing in place a few times, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart.

The “Neat Appearance and Conduct” assembly proceeded smoothly. The leaders spoke on stage while the students below did their own thing—talking, sleeping, texting, sitting in boredom. The sight made Jiang Yihan laugh, remembering his own school days when assemblies were just the same.

After half an hour, the students were growing drowsy. Then the principal announced, “For today’s assembly on appearance and conduct, we’ve invited a special etiquette teacher to teach everyone some standards. I hope you all pay attention.”

Hearing there was a guest, some students looked up curiously, some just glanced up then back down, and most simply continued what they were doing.

Behind the stage, however, things were tense. A staff member began counting down from ten. When he reached three, the host of Campus Surprise dashed onto the stage, and at one, a group of staff members followed. In a single second, as the host shouted, “Campus Surprise is here!” a huge backdrop dropped from the ceiling, reading “Campus Surprise,” while staff at the front quickly pulled a rope to separate the stage from the students with practiced skill that reminded Jiang Yihan of firefighters. A second later, Jiang Yihan himself ran out onto the stage.

The next moment, a series of ticking sounds echoed through the auditorium—it was the intro to “Puppet.” All the students leapt to their feet, screaming. When the curtain fell and revealed the full stage, and they saw Jiang Yihan, the screams grew even louder.

Jiang Yihan danced to the music, smiling as he sang, while the crowd below pushed forward, desperate to get closer. His smile grew wider, his singing more energetic.

When the song ended, the atmosphere was electric.

“Hello, everyone, we are Campus Surprise,” the host came out, having to shout into the microphone to be heard over the screams. “Today’s special guest is…”

“Jiang Yihan!” Over six thousand voices thundered in unison, shaking the roof.

Jiang Yihan bowed politely. “Hello, I’m Jiang Yihan. Please take care of me.”

The crowd’s excitement reached a fever pitch. The host grinned, “Jiang Yihan is so popular, everyone’s so excited!” Jiang Yihan smiled shyly. The host continued, “This morning, Jiang Yihan was at the school gate checking your appearance—did anyone recognize him?”

This question caused a ripple of conversation, but most students looked regretful. Hardly anyone had seen him, let alone recognized him.

“All right, let’s move on to our first segment: Make Jiang Yihan Laugh!” the host announced.

In this segment, students came up to perform, hoping to win Jiang Yihan’s applause and laughter. The best act’s class would receive a personal visit from Jiang Yihan later, so everyone gave it their all.

The first contestant, a girl, performed a sexy dance to music; in the heat of the moment, she even pulled Jiang Yihan up to dance with her, prompting the audience to scream, “No!” Jiang Yihan, laughing, tried to keep up, though her exaggerated moves left him flustered and looking silly.

Next up was a female teacher, who must have summoned great courage to join in. To everyone’s surprise, she danced to Jiang Yihan’s own “Puppet.” Delighted, Jiang Yihan joined her, and the crowd erupted in cheers, awed by her boldness.

A boy then sang Jiang Yihan’s “May I Love You?” with a gentle voice, and two girls performed a hilarious couple’s dance that had everyone in stitches. The highlight came when a boy attempted the notoriously difficult “Castle,” Jiang Yihan’s signature song—and did an outstanding job. Eventually, Jiang Yihan couldn’t help but join in, their duet earning thunderous applause and winning the segment. Jiang Yihan chose the talented singer as the winner without hesitation.

“Did you all enjoy hearing your classmate sing two of Jiang Yihan’s songs?” the host worked to stir up the crowd.

“Not enough!” came the resounding reply.

“Then next, let’s hear the original ‘Castle’ from Jiang Yihan himself,” the host said, stepping aside.

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Standing center stage, Jiang Yihan adjusted his breath and began to sing his most famous song. Even after a year, the song still ranked in the top fifty online, a testament to its enduring popularity.

Jiang Yihan’s gentle, clear voice, seamlessly switching between registers, carried deep emotion, plunging the auditorium into silence as everyone listened intently to the moving ballad.

When the song ended, the applause was thunderous.

“How was Jiang Yihan’s singing just now?” the host asked, rousing the crowd.

“Great!” they answered.

“Next up is…”

“Five-Word Dialogue!” The audience knew the program well.

The so-called “Five-Word Dialogue” involved students and Jiang Yihan taking turns asking and answering questions, with both questions and answers exactly five words long.

“Hug me, will you?” The first question was bold.

“Come up here, please,” Jiang Yihan smiled, giving the girl a hug. The crowd screamed with envy, making Jiang Yihan shy and uncomfortable.

“Kiss me, will you?” The next question was even bolder.

Amid cries of “No!” from the audience, Jiang Yihan helplessly replied, “A hug will do?” The girl eagerly agreed and got another hug.

“Act cute for us!” The third request had the audience’s full support.

Jiang Yihan had no choice but to oblige, clenching his fists by his cheeks and pouting adorably. Afterward, embarrassed, he hid his face, but the crowd’s enthusiastic response made it clear the act was well received.

The game ended amid laughter and joy. Finally, Jiang Yihan picked up his guitar and sang his latest hit, “May I Love You?”, which was topping all the charts.

His tender voice asked the question, “May I love you?” The students were entranced, some recalling scenes from movies and even shedding tears. Hearing Jiang Yihan live was truly moving.

With the stage performance over, it was time for the final segment—visiting the winning student’s class.

Stepping back into a high school classroom, Jiang Yihan was filled with nostalgia. Interacting with the students was a delight. He signed autographs for everyone, left an inspirational message for the class—“Hard work brings rewards”—and, having won their support, completed his Campus Surprise journey.

Sitting in the van afterwards, Jiang Yihan soon drifted back to sleep.

Meanwhile, as expected, after failed negotiations with KBS’s Producer Li, Jiang Yihan didn’t appear on five consecutive KBS programs. In retaliation, Li Ran arranged for several SBS and MBC programs in the same time slots, achieving excellent ratings. This unusual situation caught the attention of KBS executives. Upon investigation, it turned out that Li the producer had made a “small mistake” in scheduling—his official explanation. The issue was quickly resolved, and Jiang Yihan’s name reappeared on KBS’s schedule, with some shows even reinstating “Fly.” This outcome angered MS Company and Lin Erxiang, while Producer Li took it to heart, no doubt vowing to settle the score one day. Meanwhile, Li Ran had claimed yet another victory in strategic maneuvering.